PEACHES [bws]

34. I LOVE YOU

34.

"Just this week left and then we finish for Easter," Brad says as they lay on the sofa after uni had finished, a film playing in the background. He wasn't watching it, more interested in her hair that he played with on his finger.

"I'm ready for a couple weeks off," she says honestly. "Are you going to see your family over the break?"

Brad looks down at his girl for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm not on good terms with my dad, I haven't spoken to him in a while."

She shifts in his arms so that her chest is against his. "How come?"

"Just don't get along with him anymore," he says. She figures that it's a sensitive topic and nods, dropping it. "What about you? Are you going to meet your parents?"

"No," she says with a sad smile, her eyes looking downwards at her hands that rested on his chest. "My parents moved abroad a long while ago and I can't afford to go and see them and they don't want to come back to the UK."

"How come they won't come back?"

"Too much money to come to a place they don't enjoy," she shrugs and Brad frowns.

"Well, since neither of us have plans, looks like we're spending the day together."

Grayson was someone she could've hung out with but he had his own family who would be back from Greece and she wouldn't want to intrude, plus it's an opportunity to hang out with Brad.

"That's fine with me," she smiles, kissing his lips briefly.

"We can go out for dinner," he pulls her closer, mumbling against the skin of her neck as he rests his head on her shoulder. "Go for a walk, come home, see where the rest of the night leads us."

She smiles, her hands around his shoulders and gently twirling a few of his curls around her finger absentmindedly.

She glances up at his face, her lips pursed. He was looking at the television, although he wasn't actually watching whatever was playing. He was just trying to play off the fact that he enjoyed her looking at him, since he knew she'd look away if he acknowledged her looking.

His lips were plump on his face, his eyelids drooping since he was so tired from the lack of sleep he was getting. Granted, it was more than the few days he was on bad terms with Summer so he wasn't complaining. With exams stressing them both out, they were staying up late talking to each other while revising.

After a few moments, Brad reluctantly gazed down at Summer and she, predictably, quickly looks away from him with red cheeks.

"You alright, peaches?" He asks.

"I was just thinking, that's all."

"About what?"

"You. Me. Us."

"Do tell," he says, shifting on the sofa as he sits up properly, bringing her on top of him so she's straddling him.

"I was thinking about how crazy it is that we're together right now in this moment. I don't think anyone would've predicted it."

"Maybe it's crazy, maybe it's fate."

"Fate? You believe in that sort of stuff?"

"No," he chuckles. "I'm just trying to be romantic. But I really do think you're the one and I'm so fucking blessed to have you in my life, and I wouldn't change you for anyone."

She smiles, kissing his lips. "I love you."

He moves away quickly, surprised by the three words. There was only two people he'd ever said and meant that to and that was his mother and sister. He wasn't expecting her to say that to him, not so soon.

"You don't have to say it back," she says quickly, her cheeks going red as she fiddles with her fingers. "I just thought you should know."

❛ ━━━━━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━━━━━ ❜

"Grayson, don't be scared," Summer pouts as her best friend refuses to enter the canteen. "Brad likes you and Tristan will, too!"

"But they're scary!" He exclaims and Summer rolls her eyes.

"Gray, they won't hurt you," she says, grabbing his hand and tugging him with her. "Come on, get it over and done with. They're waiting."

Tristan and Brad had actually been waiting for about ten minutes for Grayson and Summer to arrive since today her best friend was meant to be introduced to the pair (and James, but James never speaks). However, Grayson had made a huge scene about not going.

"I'm gonna poop."

Summer rolls her eyes, opening the canteen doors. Brad is instantly looking at her, holding back a grin as he sits up in his chair properly. Every time that damned door opened, he was disappointed it wasn't her. He just wanted to look at her face the entire lunchtime.

"Sorry we're late. I had to go to the toilet," Summer smiles as she sits down, covering for her nervous wreck of a best friend. She didn't want to expose and embarrass him since he was already anxious enough.

"It's not a problem, babycakes," Tristan grins, looking at Grayson. "You're her best friend, then?"

"Y-yeah."

"I'm Tristan," he offers his hand out and Grayson quickly shakes it.

"Grayson. That's my name: Grayson."

"Lovely to meet you."

Brad chuckles as he turns to Summer who has sat herself down next to him. "He's like me when I met Marge."

"He's worse than that," Summer shakes her head with a smile as Grayson sits himself down next to James who's, unsurprisingly, glued to his phone.

Grayson pulls the sandwich his mum made him at home and looks between them all nervously.

"What do you major in, G?" Tristan asks, starting a conversation with the shy boy. He looks over at Summer who nods, urging him to speak to the blonde.

Brad looks over at Summer, pulling her closer to him and planting a kiss on her cheek. "Missed you today."

"You saw me two hours ago," she says, cheeks blushing nonetheless. "You got work tonight?"

"Yeah. I finish late," Brad says. "I can still take you home if you want?"

She was about to respond but she's cut off by a chuckle from Tristan. He had easily gotten along with Grayson, just like Summer had thought.

"Hey, how about you and Summer join Brad and I at a party on Friday?" Tristan suggests, glancing between the three of them. None of them noticed James had disappeared.

All of them look at Summer, the one who's most likely to say no but she shrugs. "I don't see why not. Just don't expect me to be drinking."

"Couldn't be me," Grayson says. "We're down, then."

"Great!" Tristan grins. "It'll be so much fun."

"Yeah. So much fun," she says sarcastically.

"We met at a party," Brad reminds her. "They're great places."

"You were high in a bathtub when we met," Summer laughs. "How romantic."

"Brad doesn't get high anymore," Tristan frowns. "He's boring now: all your fault, Summer."

"That's good, isn't it?" She asks.

"No, no one else gets high with me except Connor be he's sleepy when he's not sober."

"You get annoying when you're high," Brad replies slowly. "I'm just horny."

"You're always horny," Tristan argues.

"I can vouch for that," Summer comments and Grayson looks shocked at his best friend's new found confidence.

"You guys have changed Summer, I swear."

unedited.